Packaging machine with reject pouch conveyor

ABSTRACT

A fill/seal machine for a flexible pouch having at least one gripper for holding the pouch. The machine having turret for moving the pouch and at least gripper and pouch through a plurality of stations. The machine having a camera at one of the plurality of stations for providing a video image. The machine having a control module for comparing the video image of the pouch to at least one parameter to determine whether the pouch is to be accepted or rejected. The control module operable to generate a signal to open the at least one gripper if the pouch is rejected. The machine having a conveyor positioned to receive the pouch is rejected and released by the at least one gripper.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/950,422 filed on Dec. 19, 2019.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a flexible pouch fill and seal machine and more particularly to a machine with an inspection station.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to fill and seal flexible pouches on turret type machines. The turret has pairs of grippers which holds the pouches by side edges. Pouches are loaded into the grippers of the turret at first bag loading station and then conveyed by the turret through a number of stations. The turret moves the pouch to stations where the pouch is marked with a date and tracking information the pouch is opened, filled with product and sealed. The pouches are conveyed to an unloading station where the pouch is dropped on to a conveyor to carry the pouches away from the turret. The pouches are then inspected for proper marking and sealing. If improperly marked or sealed, the pouch is removed from the conveyor before delivered into a carton for shipping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fill seal machine for a flexible pouch having at least one gripper for holding the pouch. The machine has a turret for moving the at least one gripper and pouch through a plurality of stations. The machine has an inspection station with a camera for providing a video image of the pouch. The video image is delivered to a control module for comparing the video image of the pouch to at least one parameter to determine whether the pouch is to be “accepted” or “rejected”. The control module is operable to generate a signal to open the at least one gripper if the pouch is “rejected” after inspection. A conveyor may be positioned beneath the gripper to receive the rejected pouch if rejected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a fill/seal machine in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an inspection station of the machine; and

FIG. 3 is a front view of a pouch after it has been marked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, a multi-station turret packaging machine 10 for filling and filing a flexible pouch 12 includes an automated inspection station 14 and a conveyor 16 for carrying “rejected” pouches from the machine 10. The improved packaging machine 10 eliminates the need for additional inspection and sorting downstream from the machine thereby reducing the overall footprint of the process. This allows properly filled and sealed pouches to be routed directly from the machine into shipping cartons from the machine.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pouch is pre-formed from panels 17 of flexible material the pouch has an open top 18 and a pair of side seals 20. If the pouch is a “sand up pouch”, the pouch is provided with a bottom gusset. The pouch is loaded into a pair of grippers which grasp side seals 20 at a top 18 of the pouch 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the pouch 12 is then moved sequentially through a series stations. The machine 10 is a fill and seal machine with ten stations for filling food product into stand up pouches with gussets. However, the machine 10 may have less or more stations depending on the style of the pouch and the contents to be packaged in the pouch 12. The machine 10 includes a base 26 supporting a rotating turret 28. The turret 28 is rotated and indexed to move the pouch 12 sequentially through each of the stations. The turret 28 has at least one pair at grippers 22 of each station. The pouch 12 is loaded into the pair of grippers 22 from a cassette 30 at a loading station 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the pouch 12 is then moved by the turret 28 to a marking station 34. The pouch is marked with information, such as the date that the pouch is filled and tracking information. The tracking information may be codes that relate to the product batch or machine. The pouch may be marked by an inkjet printer 36 or a stamp.

The pouch 12 is then moved to an opening station 36. As is known in the art, suction cups are moved and affixed to the front and back panels 17 of the pouch 12 and then moved apart to open the pouch 12. In the case that the pouch 12 is provided with an interlocking zipper, opening fingers extend downwardly to separate the zipper at the pouch top 18.

At a bottom opening station 38, the bottom gusset of the pouch is pushed downwardly into position by an air blower or a plunger 40. At a filling station 42, product is loaded from a reservoir 44 above the turret through a funnel or diving wand into the pouch 12. At a degassing station 46, oxygen is removed from the pouch in a nitrogen bath prior to sealing. If a food product is being filled. At a closing station 48, the top of the panels 17 are pressed together. At a sealing station 50, seal bars 52 are positioned across the top of the pouch to heat and melt the adhesive layers of the film to form a seal 21 at the top 18 of the pouch (FIG. 3).

At the inspection station 14, as shown in FIGS. 2,3, the seal 21 is cooled and the pouch 12 is inspected with a video camera 56 to ensure the marked information 24 is complete, readable and has been properly placed and that the seal has been properly applied. A video image 58 from the camera is delivered to a control module 60. The video image 58 is compared to selected parameters which are stored in the control module 60. The selected parameters can include the existence, completeness legibility and alignment of the marked information 24 if desired the parameters can include the proper position and alignment of the top seal 21. If the comparison of the video image with selected parameters reveals that all of the selected parameters are within tolerance, the pouch is “accepted”. However, if the video image of the pouch does not meet the selected parameters, the pouch is “rejected”. If “rejected”, the control module 60 sends a signal 70 to a gripper controller to open the pair of grippers 22. When the pairs of grippers 22 open, the pouch 12 is released from the grippers. The pouch drops onto a conveyor such as a ramp 64 or a belt. The ramp 64 extends downwardly and outwardly to the side of the base collection bin. Alternatively, a bin can be located below the grippers to directly receive the pouches after “rejection.” The turret then moves an “accepted” pouch to a discharge station 66 where the “accepted” pouch is discharged into a carton or conveyor 68 for packaging into cartons.

This is disclosed a novel packaging machine with an inspection station where pouches are imaged by camera and inspected for quality. “Rejected” pouches are dropped from the turret. The arrangement provides for a compact machine and simplifies the rejection process. 

1. A machine for filing and sealing a flexible pouch; the machine comprising: a turret having at least one gripper, the machine operable to rotate the at least one gripper through a plurality of stations; one of the plurality of stations being an inspection station having a camera, the camera producing a video image of the pouch; a control module connected to camera, the control module operable to compare the video image with at least one selected parameter to determine whether the pouch is accepted or rejected, if rejected, the control module opens the at least one gripper to release the pouch.
 2. The machine of claim 1, further comprising: a conveyor positioned at the inspection station below the at least one gripper to receive the pouch, if released by the at least one gripper.
 3. The machine of claim 1, further comprising an exit station positioned downstream of the inspection station, the exit station having a second conveyor for receiving a pouch that is not rejected.
 4. The machine of claim 1, further comprising a marking station which applies marking including a date to the pouch.
 5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected parameter relates to the marking.
 6. The machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected parameter is quality of the seal.
 7. The machine of claim 5, wherein the at least one parameter is the length of the marking. 